Epilithic lichen assemblage growing on a granite rock outcropping on Great Duck Island, Maine. We are presently employing GPS, GIS, and image analysis technology to examine colonization patterns and community dynamics of these unique symbiotic organisms. We are particularly interested in revealing the determinants of spatial patterning of lichen assemblages, and establishing whether these patterns conform to predictions of island biogeography theory or more recent non-equilibrium concepts of community organization.

For more information. contact Dr. Ron Butler